Memories of Australia
by DolmaafAmlod
Summary: What do you do when the teacher tells you to write about an English-speaking country using any way you want? Well you write a history fic. During a meeting Australia starts reminiscing on his past, and the things that defined him as a nation. This story will contain violence, slight abuse and coarse language. I've tried to make it accurate but please don't kill me if it's not
1. Chapter 1

Take that back you bastard!" And with those words, Singapore had flung herself across the table to wrestle a perfectly calm Hong Kong. I easily dodged out of the way and watched in poorly hidden amusement. Hong Kong was quicker than Singapore, having been educated in martial arts by his big brother China, but Singapore played dirty. I casually leaned back in my chair and tipped it until I deemed myself close enough to be heard by my step-brother and friend, New Zealand.

"So who do you think will win?" I asked with a smirk.

New Zealand shot me a disapproving glare.

"You should be more mature than this." He reprimanded acting as though he was much older than the 3000 that he actually was. Besides he didn't start growing until 400 years ago so the first 2600 years didn't even count. I rolled my eyes.

"Singapore needs to fight off the steam." I said dismissively. Most of all I was just glad for an interruption.

"We should just calm down, eh?" I heard Canada say but it was easily drowned out in the noise. He wasn't exactly a loud-spoken nation to begin with. The fight continued and all I could do was watch in amusement.

"How can you be so idiotic about all of this?" New Zealand snapped in annoyance. "People are fighting and all you do is laugh?"

I shot him a weird look.

"People fight all the time. As long as there's no blood-shed I don't see where the problem is."

New Zealand glared at me, though it was hard to take it seriously when he was pouting at the same time.

"These aren't just random people on the street, Australia. These are your brothers and sisters."

I gave a non-committal shrug.

"It's not like it's by blood. The only reason we are considered family, is because England, invaded my land and enslaved my people."

New Zealand stared at me in disbelief.

"I can't believe how you can be so cold."

The words stung more than I cared to admit but I didn't blame him for saying it. After all, he only knew fragments of my history.

_I wasn't always like that. A selfish, uncaring, young man, who most people only tolerated because they had to, that is. Once upon a time, my smiles were genuine and my heart pure. That's the time of my early childhood. _

There were sounds around me. Low growling's and twigs being broken. I wasn't scared. For some reason, I was here, sitting all alone in the middle the middle of a forest and felt nothing but wonder. I had absolutely nothing back then. No clothes, no money, no belongings. Then again, I didn't really need any of that. There were the rustling of leaves and suddenly I was faced with the first of my children. I called them 'warren', the name for child because they were children of my earth, although I didn't fully understand it yet. The man, just stared at me, wondrous of who I was, or rather what I was. Many of my children in the future would never know what I was, too busy with their own lives to notice, but these were much closer to the earth. They sensed that I was a part of it, just as much as the animals did. More of my 'warren' neared and all stared.

"What are you?" one asked, the tribe leader, as I would later learn. I had never heard the language before yet I didn't need to wonder what they said.

"I am land." I answered because that is all I knew. They were quiet. Then I was taken into the leaders arms, held with respect and care and they brought me with them to their village and they called me 'lahan´ the word for land.

This was my life for as long as time could remember. The natives, my people would nurture me and teach me everything there was to know about myself and guarded me from dangers.

"Come, _Lahan_, I wish to show you something." Said a man to me one day. I have long since forgotten his name and what tribe he belonged to but his image is clear. His skin was dark, as was mine and his eyes were dark and un-seeing. He was the eldest of this village and the man who had once brought me to my people. Since then, I had aged by only a year although almost twenty had gone by. I stood up from where I was seated and took his old hand in my own.

"What is it?" I asked him but all he did was pat my dark messy hair.

"You must show patience, _Lahan." _

I nodded resolutely and followed him away from the village. We stopped near a small river where we sat down. With his unseeing eyes, he picked a flower near the river-bed and handed it to me.

"What is that, _Lahan_?" he asked me and I looked at him in confusion.

"It is a flower."

The old man shook his head in amusement.

"It is not just a flower, _Lahan_, it is a flower of this land. Do you understand?" he asked but I had to answer no.

"It is a flower of this land," he repeated. "And so it is a part of you."

I stared in wonder at the small flower. Never have I thought of it that way. I new I was the land but to think that what grew was a part of me as well, was new.

"I am also a part of you, _Lahan_, even when you no longer remember my face."

"How can I forget that?" I asked, curiously. "You will not go anywhere."

"All things has their time, _Lahan, _as that flower, I will also wither one day. "

"Then I will be sad." I murmured with my eyes down-cast.

"Be so, but don't mourn forever. You must move on one day and find more about yourself."

I nodded vigorously.

"I will." I announced, but added softly. "But not until I have to."

The man took my hand again, and pressed it lightly.

"Let us sit here for a while longer, just until they come looking for us."

We did so, until the darkness came and the man announced that he was tired. I couldn't possibly have understood it but even so, I allowed him to lay down and close his eyes.

The following morning we all painted our bodies in white, and cut our bodies as a sign of remorse for the loss. It had little use on me as my body healed quicker than the average human but the new tribe-leader said it was all right. I watched silently as the dead body was placed on an elevated platform, covered in leaves and branches.

"What will happen now?" I asked a warrior who stood nearby. He placed his hand on my head.

"For now, we shall let the body rot. Later we shall move his bones to a cave so that they also can vanish, but it must not be rushed."

I nodded in understanding. That day we danced and performed various rituals to ensure his spirit moved on and then as the sun set, I bid a final goodbye. I had remembered the words that the old man had said and decided to travel towards the place where the sun rose and find more of my people. I felt no remorse for my departure and neither did my villagers. A man had once taught me that the land lived in each one of them and so I knew that I wouldn't really abandon them. I would make sure to always be there.

My travels took me across vast plains where no water stood to be found and later through thick jungle. The animals around me didn't hurt me. Many of them avoided me but no one acted threateningly. At night I slept under the stars or in the large trees and at day I would keep walking until I was hungry. Not until now did I learn how powerful my body was. I could wrestle dingoes with my bare hands and come out with only some injuries. I could walk for days without either food nor water without dying and no matter how wounded I was, I would always heal. It seemed like I was completely invincible. At final last, I reached a point where I could no longer walk. Before me lay so much water that I couldn't see the end of it. It was darker than the water I had seen before and smelled differently. I soon learned that this water wasn't drinkable and tasted salty, in my mouth. For several days, I remained still in the sand, contemplating these waters. They were different and so I needed to know more. At last, I took a couple of careful steps towards the water. It was cool and different, almost engulfing me. It moved up and down in a soothing motion that almost caused me to loose my balance but somehow I managed to remain standing. I kept walking until the water reached my shoulders and as if on instinct I suddenly plunged forwards into the waters until all of me was beneath it. The salt water stung my sensitive eyes but I decided to keep them open. Beneath the surface there was a blurry world of beauty that I had never experienced before. I moved my arms experimentally and found that it helped me move through the waters. I did the same thing with my legs, mimicking the movements of a frog and soon I could move much faster by combining them. I laughed, but instantly regretted it when water entered my mouth. I quickly reached the surface and started coughing water while trying to get closer to land again. Despite the burning of my lungs I was happy and I vowed to become better at swimming and explore more of the world beneath. On the beach stood several children, gazing at me in wonder. When I stepped closer, they ran under yells of demon and stranger. I was confused but followed them nonetheless. Despite the yells from the children, the adults sensed my importance as had the others although a bit more cautiously. Not until a foolish warrior had stabbed me with a spear, was I able to prove that I was in fact a rare boy. The wound should have killed me but instead all it did was make me cry. The people were amazed and claimed that the gods might have created me during the creation time.

That was my life for many thousand years and it did not bother me for a second. I was happy and made friends with each person I met. I learned to accept the passing of people and the passing of life. It would be more than 18 000 years before things would change, for better and for worse.

It started as a tingling in my fingers. A strange feeling that bubbled up through my arms. I didn't know it fully then, but that was the feeling of another nation stepping onto my lands. For days I followed the feeling until the sound of voices reached my ears. They were different and I did not know the language. The men were tall and impossibly pale to the skin with light hair and color-full eyes. I studied them carefully, not liking their lack of care for the nature around us. My curiosity was mostly directed at the man in charge. There was another man yelling but he didn't seem to take any interest in his words. He was taller than the rest with wild pale hair and shining grey eyes. His voice was deep and he somehow felt different.

"Je lijkt onrustige, mijn heer." Said the yelling man to the other.

"Er is iets naar ons te kijken. En niet zomaar iets." The other replied, looking around and for a moment his eyes were directly upon my hiding.

"Houd een oogje op het kamp. Ik zal gaan en verken dit land." He said to the yelling man and suddenly he started walking. I followed after. After a while he stopped. By then we were far away from other people.

"I know that you are there, little nation." He said clearly, shocking me. That was not a language I recognized.

"You can come out now." I cautiously did as he told me and got down to a crouching position.

"Do you have a name, little boy?"

"_Lahan."_ I responded with wide eyes.

He reached out his hand to stroke hair away from my face but I quickly backed off.

"I won't hurt you, if you stay calm." He promised but there was a hidden threat in his voice.

"What are you?" I asked in the same language that he had used, although I didn't know that I could.

"I am the Dutch Republic a nation from the west."

"Are you of the land?" I asked, searching to understand if he was like me.

The Dutch Republic chukled.

"Haven't you figured that out yet, little child, the thing that brought you to me. You felt pulled to me as we are of the same heritage."

Despite the laugh the man suddenly felt dangerous.

"Haven't you ever been invaded by another nation before?"

I shook my head frightened. He chuckled again.

"Well, New Holland. You might as well get used to it. My men have finally found your island and although you seem fairly useless it won't be long until other's will come and claim you and you do well to fear that moment. With those frightening words the Dutch Republic rose from the ground and walked away. It would be years before I saw him again.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

**This part takes place during the British Colonization and will contain both violence and blood as well as some coarse readers, you have been warned.**

"Something is changing." I whispered fearfully to the chief in the village I was in. They had not been my original destination but a couple of days prior, I had lost consciousness somewhere near the east and these _warren_ had taken me in. Since then, my health had been unclear. One moment I'd be up and running and the next I'd be lying in the dirt while coughing up blood. Wounds started appearing on my body and my body felt impossibly hot even in the coldest of night. At times I'd be delirious and claim to see the Gods above but it was not the gods that I had been taught were there, no what I saw a young woman with shining hair and eyes so green that they seemed to reflect the jungles around me. She'd speak to me and damn my actions yet encourage them at the same time. She scared me.

"I can see that." Said the old chief. He didn't seem affected by the blood that ran down my arms and painted my back with its crimson color.

"You must find what it is." He said without hesitation in his dark cold eyes. I nodded. Something or someone was tainting my island and I had to figure it out. At the moment, I could barely move my right arm so I decided I should use that as guidance. My wounds weren't natural for they didn't heal so then it had to be the land or my people hurting. Either way, I had to stop it. The journey was painful and dangerous and my only company was a koala that had decided to come with me. I appreciated his company but it didn't do much to quell my fears. The closer to the coast I got, the harder it was to move and I found myself slipping to new tongues that I didn't know how to speak. Then at least I reached the end. Before me lay once open plains but now they look tainted with blood. My senses moved me forwards and I watched in amazed terror at all the people around me. They hardly seemed to notice me. These were skinny men and women whose skin was as pale the Dutch had been. They seemed to struggle harshly and many of them bled like I did. People were crying yet they kept moving. The further I moved the more frightened I became by them. Some of them weren't much older than myself. Then suddenly someone noticed me and moved towards me in anger. He was bigger than the others, stronger and scarier.

"Keep working!" the man yelled struck me with a long rope. The rope hurt and left a long welt across my already bleeding skin. He struck me over and over again until new wounds formed on my skin and finally proceeded to kick me several times. I rolled in on my self in fear and in a weak attempt to protect the koala.

"Knock it of Jameson!" Anther man yelled. "The kid's about to die anyway!" No I wouldn't. They were speaking the language that I had been speaking myself ever since I started nearing this place. The one called Jameson growled lowly and kicked me again.

"No brat is going get away from his punishment." He exclaimed.

"Please it's just a little child." A woman suddenly begged and covered me with her frail body.

"Move over, skank, or I'll have you whipped."

The woman didn't move."  
"I beg of you to show some humanity."

"Get to work." The man yelled and struck the woman with the rope making her pained screams the only thing I heard. At least until a loud voice suddenly rang through the air.  
"What's going on here?!" the voice bellowed and all sounds suddenly silenced.

"Mr. Kirkland sir, this little harlot refused to work." Jameson exclaimed over the wails of the woman.

"She was trying to protect a boy from getting whipped." The other man explained in a much calmer voice. I couldn't see this Kirkland from where I was lying but even from that distance here I could sense that he was like me.

"Move, girl, I shall have a look at that boy."

The woman had no choice as she was forcefully pulled away and I got my first clear view of Kirkland. He was of average height, with pale skin, green eyes and pale hair. A pair of large eyebrows was lowered into a frown on his forehead and his lips were pressed into a firm line. I didn't dare take my eyes away from him. He knelt down before and with slim cold hands, he inspected me, regardless of all the blood. After a moment he nodded.

"I'm taking this boy with me." He informed curtly. "Make sure I am not disturbed by any other business today." With a swift move he lifted me from the ground, yet again disregarding the blood and started to move away from the place.

Both men saluted.

"What do we do with the girl, sir?" Jameson asked.

"The girl is here because she defied the rules of the British Empire. I trust a good whipping will set her straight."

"Yes sir."

I didn't move other than to secure the grip on the koala. Kirkland spoke but I couldn't hear anything other than the pained screams from the girl who had saved me and her begging for mercy.

Sometime along the road, I must have blacked out because when I woke up I was laying on a very soft surface and looking up at a white ceiling. I tried to move but found it impossible to do so. I was fortunately able to move my head enough to look around. It was a strange room, unlike any room I had ever seen. There were paintings on the walls that looked different from the paintings I'd seen in the caves at home and there were several surfaces that made no sense to me.

"I see you are finally awake." I moved my head to the left and found Kirkland stand there in the opening of the room. I instantly started to try and move again, for this man scared me but it was no use.

"You won't be able to escape, lad. I've made sure to tie you down until I've figured out who you are."

"I am _lahan." _I whispered but the words came out rough through my dry throat. He sat down next to me on the bed with a deep frown.

"I've been sensing you presence for days but I'd never thought you'd be so young. Your land is old and vast yet you are but a boy.  
"I am _lahan." _I repeated fearfully.

"Is that what they call you." He murmured and I nodded.

"That is the word for land." I explained. "I am land."

Kirkland nodded.

"I thought as much. Then I might as well introduce myself. I am the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and I have claimed this land as my own."

I stared at him un-understandingly. How could this be his land when it was mine?

"But this is my land." I said in confusion.

Britain smiled coldly at me.

"Not any more. This is my land so from now on you will follow my rules, my traditions and speak my language, understood?"

I shook my head fearfully. How could one possibly understand? His smile turned even colder as he leaned closer to me until I could feel his breath at my ear. It was a disgusting smell that almost had me gag.

"Let me make it clearer to you then. You. Are. Mine."

Loath as I sometimes am to admit it, Britain changed me and in many ways shaped me as well. He was a strict man, who didn't hesitate to beat me if he saw it fit but he wasn't cruel and I didn't fear me. I hated him in the beginning, for forcing me to wear his uncomfortable clothes and hurting my people but by time, I couldn't resist the changes. Britain taught me everything he knew. He taught me how to read, write, do math, all things that I considered useless and told me of a new God. The right God. I of course, was very much against it for a long time and many times Britain had to physically drag me to church in order for me to follow my new religion. He could go on for hours about my manners and deny me my dinner until I did a certain task correctly. He also taught me about being a nation. He told me how we are a part of our nation and therefor feel their pain. That is why I was hurting all the time, because the convicts were beginning to become a part of me. It also caused me to grow. The clothes Britain had given me soon grew too small and before I knew it, I could reach all the way to his chest. Britain seemed saddened by this but he never said anything. As decades flew by, I realized that the man I had once hated, was now more like a father to me. At times he would leave with his boat and be gone for a good couple of years but then I was always under the supervision of one of his men. I wasn't very fond of them since they often insulted me and hit me when they had the chance. It was during one of those times, when insults were thrown about me being a bastard child and a demon, that I lost it and ran away. I hadn't tried it for years but with my physical appearance of now, 13 it was becoming much easier to get out of the window and before I knew it I was far away from civilization. Once the initial fear had subsided, I couldn't help but laugh in joy. For the first time in for too long I was free from the city and back out in the wilderness. Without a care in the world, I threw off my shirt and started running through the thick jungle. I was free. Just like when I'd been younger, I simply kept walking aimlessly. I ate from the nature when I was hungry and drank from the streams when I was thirsty. I'd sleep on the ground and keep walking when I woke up. Much to my joy I was yet again given the company of a stubborn little koala who hung around my neck. When that became to bothersome I carried him in my arms and surprisingly the animal allowed me to.

"You know." I said to the koala one day. "You look just like the koala that I met as a kid."

_"That's because I am."_ I almost dropped the little animal in shock and had to look around just to make sure there wasn't anyone there.

"D-d-did you just talk?" I stuttered out, seriously doubting my sanity.

_"Well I didn't exactly sing. Of course I talked." _

"H-how? How is that even possible. Animals can't talk."

_"Aren't you listening to me, kid?" _The koala said in annoyance. "_I'm talking and that's it. Don't ask me how it happened, because I don't know. One moment you were talking gibberish and the other you were making sense."_

"A-are you really the same koala bear?" I asked curiously once the initial chock had gone down.

"_The one and only who was stupid enough to follow the land and see where he was going."_

"This doesn't make sense." I stammered in disbelief.

_"Of course it doesn't, you're just a kid. "_

I puffed my cheeks childlishly.

"I'm not a kid. I'm growing bigger and stronger each day."

"_Yeah but you still chose escape as the best way to deal with a problem."_

I glared at the stupid animal.

"I didn't escape my problems, I just escaped my prison. If you're going to be so mean you might as well stay here."

_"See if I care." _The koala replied. Angrily I set the koala down on the ground before storming off. I could sense my people near-by and that stupid animal was not going to ruin that for me. Soon I was met by, first laughter, and then the sight of a dozens of children playing nearby. I laughed in joy at the sight but the noise seemed to startle them. For a moment the children stood silent, staring at me. I figured they were surprise to see me again.

"It's me!" I said cheerfully.

The kids were still silent for a moment before a small boy let out a high-pitched scream. Instantly there was commotion around me. I heard the sound of men shouting loudly and plunging through the vegetation. Soon I found myself surrounded with sharp spears pointed at me. My eyes widened in fear.

"What are you doing? It's me! I mean no harm! I'm one of you." However the men didn't seem to understand.

"Don't you recognize me? I'm your land!" I pleaded desperately with tears threatening to spill over. I took a step closer to the chief but instantly he charged towards me. I frightfully backed away again but found myself tripping on a root and falling backwards. I stared up in panic as the spear was raised above my head and all I was able to hear was the heart pounding on my ears. With a quiet whimper, I shut my eyes and waited for the final blow. But nothing came. When I opened my eyes, I found the chief on the ground as well, with blood pooling out of his chest. Three other men had fallen before there was a furious roar from the trees and a man revealed himself. I watched in a terrified fascination as he avoided each blow directed at him and killed one man after the other. After what seemed like forever the last man fell, leaving a dull ache in my heart, but also get a look at my savior.

"D-dad?" I whispered in terror as he turned around with a very angry look on his face.

Without word, he pulled me to my feet and kept me at an arms distance.

"Are you hurt?" he inquired.

I shook my head.

"I-I don't think so." I muttered and Britain nodded.

"Good to know."

Before I could react, his hand was raised high in the air before it hit my cheek harshly.

"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL WERE YOU THINKING! DIDN'T YOU THINK I WOULDN'T KNOW? THAT I WOULDN'T FIND YOU? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW ANGRY I AM?"

I could only look down on the ground and take his lecture while trying to keep myself from crying, both from the stinging of my cheek and the events of the day. Eventually, Britain calmed down and pulled me into a hug.

"Honestly lad, when I give you a rule, it's to protect you. Were you really that miserable at home that you had to run away? You had me worried sick."

I sniffled a little and allowed embarrassing tears to fall.

"They were mean to me. They called me names and hurt me."

"I know, lad, and don't worry, I'll have them hung as soon as we get home."

I shook my head furiously.

"Please don't kill more people." I begged with teary eyes, that Britain wiped away with a handkerchief.

"Sometimes, death is a necessity. If I hadn't killed the savages, they would have hurt you."

"They are my children too." I sniffled. "Why didn't they recognize me? Why did they try to hurt me?"

Britain ruffled my hair.

"Perhaps, you have just grown too civilized for them." He gave me a slight smile. "Come, let's go home."

"I have been thinking."

I looked up from 'The adventures of Tom Sawyer' and found Britain looking at me with a contemplative look on his face.

"About what?" I wanted to add a snarky comment but Britain seemed to be even more serious than usual.

The man, who I was now just as tall as, seemed agitated but he sat down in front of me, nonetheless.

"Perhaps it is time to give you some more freedom."

I raised my eyebrows in complete surprise and had to scan my father's face to see if he was joking. He wasn't.

"W-why?" I asked in shock.

Britain fiddled with his hands in his lap.

"Well, an old man learns from his mistakes and it is clear that you are growing up. With the gold-rush and the rebellions that followed, you have indeed proven that you can handle serious situations. "

He straightened his back.

"Of course, I will still look over some things, in order to keep the empire running, but I do believe that you are ready."

I stared at him for a moment in disbelief before letting out a whoop of joy and pulling the other into a tight hug.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" I yelled in glee until dad had to whack me over the head to get to let go.

"Bloody hell, you're getting stronger as well." He said breathlessly and only then, did I realized how hard I had been hugging him. I blushed a little.

"Sorry, I just got excited."

Britain just grumbled in response.

"I better not regret this."

With more responsibility also came more freedom. Britain trusted me more and allowed me to travel across the nation as I pleased as long as I let him know where I was going. Many times I just made something up to tell him because honestly, I had no idea myself. Mostly I'd just wander around aimlessly, with the koala as my only company and made sure to avoid any of the remaining tribes. Some of these trips ended nicely with a smiling Britain telling me to get cleaned or even a greeting from New Zealand. The little island next to me, had been visiting more frequently recently, claiming that I was too stupid to take care of myself. Of course I didn't mind. Other times wouldn't end just as nicely. These were the ones when Arthur would shake his head angrily and lecture me for hours on end on how I could have been careless enough to get robbed (again)before he sent me to bed. He as well had been visiting more often the past years, constantly fretting over my health and telling me to rest a lot. I on the other hand, although I did cough a lot at times, didn't feel bad at all. Instead there was a nice bubbly feeling in my chest that told me good things were about to happen. And they were.

"Dad, the colonies have been doing some thinking." I chose to take this carefully, not wanting him in a fit of rage. He'd already had half a glass of whiskey after all. Britain looked up at me with raised eyebrows but I could see how displeased he was.

"Well spit it out boy." He ordered gruffly, clearly on the verge of drunk already.

"I…Um… they think that we should unite my four colonies into one nation. " I said hesitantly automatically ready for his rage. Instead I found him just staring at me.

"If the government allows it then it's none of my problem." He said numbly before he got up.

"If you excuse me, I have some business to attend to."

Reflexively I shot out an arm to grip at his shirt. When had I grown past my father?

"Dad," I begged, feeling more like a child than the adult I looked to be. He turned to me. "It doesn't change things, does it? You'll still love me? I don't think I'm ready to be all independent. Just a bit you know."

Britain stared at me for a long while before he pulled me into a hug.

"I believe in you, Australia. You should too."


	3. Chapter 3

I didn't matter if he'd told me those words a thousand times, nothing could have prepared me for the following four and a half decades. It started with a phone call. England told me that we were at war. I did the only thing imaginable. I joined the army. England had forbid me to, claiming that I was too young for these kind of things and that he would take care of it but I'd be damned before I stood back from a fight. I wanted to support England like he'd supported me. At my side was New Zealand. England had been furious but after some arguing he had agreed to send us with soldiers to the Ottoman Empire in order clear a sea-rout for Russia. We were young, we were naïve, we were excited to help. In the matter of days, our image was shattered by the harsh reality of war. The sounds of guns being fired and people dying. My people were dying. For the first weeks I could barely sleep at all and when I did it was filled with nightmares. Even so, I continued in the morning, or got up even if I'd been shot. It was horrible and had it not been for New Zealand, being amazingly calm about all of it, I would have lost it somewhere along the road. But I didn't, and I kept struggling. I could live with being shot, I could live with the dying, I could live with loosing my children. I had to. Despite fighting for Britain, it took me until the end of the war until I actually saw him again. He looked thinner, paler and more tired but I guessed that I looked the same. My tough exterior soon crumbled as I felt the last years run over me and I allowed him to pull me into a warm comforting hug.

"There, there, lad. Everything will be fine. I am so proud of you. You are so strong." And so it went on as I wept into his dirty uniform.

"Not too used to war, huh?" a sudden voice spoke and for the first time in my protected life, I was met with the United States of America. Politically we would come to get along very well with each other but on the emotional level this marked the beginning of our rivalry.

"Shush it America, you're new to this as well." England reprimanded but there was little bite to it. America was stronger than him and England needed him. The tall blonde scoffed in annoyance.

"This aint exactly my first war, Artie. And nothing, wrong with not wanting to fight, kid, the sidelines are pretty good as well."

I glared at him, not liking in the least how superior he acted. This wasn't just a battle against Germany. This was our battle for England's affection.

"I missed you dad." I said in a pathetic tone, and hugged him tighter, watching gleefully as America's face darkened at the gesture. England patted my back.

"I've missed you too, boy, but no more tears." He took a step back and proceeded to wipe away some stray tears. "There, you've been through so much and I don't doubt for a second that you can survive this as well."

I nodded bravely, but chose to bite my lip just for the show.

"Thanks dad. I won't let you down." _Like America did _was left unsaid.

I didn't let him down that day. Instead, it was a large victory that in the run would end, what I hoped would be the last war for a long time.

I didn't see much of England or America after the war. Both were busy building up their countries after the war and I was busy doing the same. It wouldn't be an easy decade, nor would the one after that be. For a big part of the 20's I was simply trying to process the war and rid myself of the nightmares while the 30's found me bedridden with New Zealand tending to my faltering health. At the end of it I was getting well enough to stand out of bed but that was a weak joy considering the worries that came from Europe. With the attack on Poland, a man I had only met once, I was yet again at war, as announced by my current boss Robert Menzies. I fought wherever people told me to. New Guinea, Sidney, Singapore, just to name a few. I was terrified of the Japanese and dreaded the day that I would have to meet their nation in person. Several times, they'd launch small attacks on my cities with the result of me being in constant pain and trying to survive. By my side was New Zealand. He had his own worries yet he gave me the support I needed. During the first half of the war, I only saw England once. I met him at the harbor in Sidney but was shocked to see him in bandages and paler than usual. Even so he embraced me and I hugged back, looking for some kind of reassurance. An attack from Japan lay in the air and it terrified me. We walked together along the harbor although England had to stop several times as though he was in pain, which he probably was.I still remember the conversation clearly.

"Aren't you scared?" I asked him hesitantly. He patted my arm.

"Dear boy, on a good day I'm worried, on a bad day I'm absolutely petrified. But you can't let that fear stop you from moving forwards. It won't do any difference. Whether you fear this war or not, it is there."

I bit my lip in worry and a heavy sigh escaped the Britton.

"You don't have to be afraid, Australia. No matter what, I will always protect my colonies."

Then he was gone, lying to us both about him being fine and then leaving. The war would't be over in another couple of years and I had yet to learn the full extent of what it meant to be under attack but I made it through all of it, knowing that England would always be a safe place to call home.

"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL IS GOING ON HERE!" The fight between Hong Kong and Singapore instantly came to a halt as we all turned to the fuming Brit in the doorway. Behind him stood a slightly apologetic America who I chose to ignore in favor of my angry father.

"I leave you alone for 15 minutes and all of the sudden it's like a war-zone. Honestly you are impossible."

I pouted a bit.

"Please don't hate us." I said in a sad way, which I knew would get England to soften up. Like anticipated, England quietly shook his head with a fond smile on his lips.

"Why don't you all head home." He said tiredly. "It's been a long day and I'm sure we can wrap this all up over breakfast tomorrow."  
There was a gathered cheer from the nations in the room and one by one we left the room.

"You're not mad about the question, right? You know that I can be mean when I can't control this chaos." New Zealand asked as we walked out of the meeting room together. I answered by placing a chaste kiss to his perfect lips. New Zealand instantly starting blushing but he kissed back just as chastely. I thought I heard Amercia mutter something about 'fags' but even so, I knew that he would be walking home with England tonight so I didn't take it too seriously. Hopefully England would just get angry at him for speaking like that. After I pulled away, New Zealand smiled at me.

"You don't have to kiss me all the time Oz, just because you can.

I grinned widely at him.

"But I want to kiss you."

New Zealand huffed a little and stood up on his tiptoes until he reached so that he could kiss me.

"Love sick idiot." He said fondly and our hands slowly intertwined. "Are you coming over to my place after we get home tomorrow?" he asked shyly.

"Actually…" I said with a scratch to the back of my neck. "There's something that I really need to do.

Memories of my last run-in with my children were still in my memory as I approached the small village. As always, Koko (that's what I'd come to call the old koala) was resting on my back and offering his comments. I felt like I needed to ask for his advice.

"How come those villagers didn't recognize me?" I asked thoughtfully as we carefully neared.

_"Cause you wore pants, had paler skin and talked English." _Koko replied without hesitation. "_You also looked like a mad-man." _

I would have shot something back but I was too busy freaking out about what he had just said.

"How could I possibly have forgotten my own language."

_"You haven't forgotten it, you idiot." _Koko said in annoyance_. "You just grew used to speaking English so you forgot to change language. With all the new people influencing you, it's a miracle that I recognized you. "_

I swallowed guiltily.

"I can't believe I forgot my _warren."_ I said in misery.

_"There's still time to make up for your mistakes." _Koko said, being unusually kind.

I nodded in resolution as a saw the village nearing ahead.

"These are my _warren_ as much as I am their _lahan._"

The End


End file.
